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HINTS 
ABOUT MEN'S DRESS 



HINTS ABOUT MEN'S DRESS. 



HINTS 
ABOUT MEN'S DRESS 



RIGHT PRINCIPLES 
ECONOMICALLY APPLIED 



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A NEW YORK CLUBMAN 




NEW TORK 

D. Appleton & Co., 1,3,85 Bond Street 

1888 









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Copyright, i883, 
By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. 



-103$ 



CONTENTS. 



Page 

Introduction 7 

I. The First Steps that Count . . 9 

II. Under-clothing 20 

III. Shirts ...... 30 

IV. Suits of Clothes . . . . .37 
V. The Care of Clothes . . 51 

VI. Hats and Neckwear . . . .57 

VII. Jewelry and Gloves .... 70 

VIII. How to Branch Out a Little . . 74 






HINTS ABOUT MEN'S DRESS, 



Introduction. 



It is to the credit of Americans, espe- 
cially to those of the present younger gen- 
erations, that they generally do the best 
they can to dress and appear well, so that 
they may excite no remark ; and to be neat 
in their personal habits, so that they may 
not be offensive to refined tastes and crit- 
ical eyes. Their efforts are fairly well re- 
warded, but the struggle is made under 
many disadvantages. Their forefathers, im- 



8 Introduction. 



mediate and remote, have not been able to 
give them much information about dress or 
manner, having always been too busy to 
think about the minor things of life ; and 
thus, scattered throughout the country, in 
parts far away from large cities, ambitious 
boys have had a hard time to learn just 
how gentlemen do dress and act in the con- 
ventional phases of life. 

To help such youths and men to accom- 
plish their laudable purposes more easily, 
the following pages have been prepared. 
But it is taken for granted in all that is 
written that the reader is honest, gentle, 
generous, brave, and wise. Else what he 
learns herein will benefit him little in his 
efforts to be a true gentleman. 



The First Steps that Count. 

Baths — Shaving one's self — Dressing the hair — Care of 
the teeth and nails — The use of perfumes unwise. 

There is more reason in the English- 
man's morning " tub " than most people 
give him credit for. It is not mere affecta- 
tion. A nice Anglo-Saxon in England or 
America understands that cleanliness is the 
prime requisite of health and of a gentle- 
man, and that for obvious reasons a man 
who does not indulge in frequent baths 
will not be an acceptable person in good 
society. 



10 tfhe First Steps that Count. 

It is no little trouble to keep clean, but 
it pays, and is the basis of all decency. 
There are various ways of doing it, some 
more convenient than others. A tub-bath 
in one's own room is an awkward arrange- 
ment, and a sponge-bath scatters too much 
water ; while to fill the stationary tub takes 
time and watching. Most convenient of all 
is the shower-bath. If this is arranged for 
hot and cold water, it requires only a mo- 
ment's patience to get a shower of the 
proper temperature, and not much longer 
to take a good bath and a thorough wash 
with castile soap. Not every one can stand 
the shower well, and delicate men should be 
careful not to take it too cold or too often ; 
but the average man may enjoy a bath of 
this kind every morning without harm to 



fhe First Steps that Count. 11 

his health. One should wipe himself thor- 
oughly until perfectly dry. It is not neces- 
sary to have a towel as rough as a corn-cob, 
nor to keep up the rubbing till the skin is 
blood-red, as many books about health in- 
sist. While the tepid bath is agreeable and 
harmless, the bather should constantly try 
to lower the temperature, provided it does 
not get so cold as to leave him in a chill. 
After a bath the operation of shaving is 
in order. Every man ought to shave him- 
self. So doing not only saves money and 
time, but it is cleaner. It is not agreeable 
to a person of refinement to have a barber 
pawing his face ; neither does a gentleman 
enjoy the society of the barber-shop while 
" waiting his turn." The haughty man who 
would not allow the barber to turn aside 



12 "The First Steps that Count. 

his long Roman nose (although it was 
gently done), nor to pull down the corners 
of his mouth, did not deserve the credit he 
claimed for not tolerating familiarities from 
any one. He should have shaved himself 
at home, and manipulated his own features. 
The care of razors may be a little diffi- 
cult at first, but the knack of sharpening 
them is easily learned, and, aside from the 
advantage of cleanliness, if one has a tender 
skin, he can shave himself more easily than 
any one else can do it for him. Of course, 
for trimming the beard — the chin-whisker 
is not tolerated now — the mustache, and the 
hair, it is necessary to endure a barber ; but 
under no circumstances should he be al- 
lowed to put anything on the hair except 
cold water. Nothing is so objectionable as 



tfhe First Steps that Count. 13 

the smell of cheap perfumery. A word here 
as to perfumery in general. Don't use it. 
It was formerly employed, according to 
some authorities, by people who did not 
take baths, to disguise that omission; and, 
from this point of view, the use of it to-day 
is a suspicious circumstance. 

In combing one's hair, which comes 
along about this time in the order of dress- 
ing, the principal point to be considered is 
where to part it. There is little doubt that 
it ought to be parted in the middle. So 
doing adds to the symmetry of the face, 
and it is almost the invariable practice in 
all countries, the United States excepted. 
In the noted public art-galleries of Europe 
one rarely or never sees an antique statue 
with its chiseled hair parted on the side. 



14 <The First Steps that Count 

The line of division is in the middle where 
there is any line at all. Candor compels 
the admission that in many cases there is 
no parting ; the front locks fall over the 
forehead in an easy, graceful, and natural 
way, as much like the modern " bang " as 
possible, except that the hair is not trimmed 
off evenly. This is especially noticeable in 
the statues of Roman emperors which may 
be seen in the Louvre ; and the head of the 
young Augustus, so well known, has a de- 
cided bang. Yet there is nothing effeminate 
about these old statues. It is not intended 
here to say anything in defense of the bang, 
which, as it exists on a man in modern times, 
is a monstrous spectacle. It is merely de- 
sired to point out that, if precedent is need- 
ed for letting the hair divide naturally on 



Tfo First Steps that Count. 15 

the top of the head, it can easily be fur- 
nished. For many years in America to part 
one's hair down close by the ear was con- 
sidered the proper thing ; but the fashion of 
parting it in the middle is sensibly begin- 
ning to prevail, and after a short trial one 
will soon become convinced that a part in 
the middle is vastly more becoming than a 
part on either side. Of course, if the hair 
is thin on top, this fact may be disguised a 
little by a parting on the side. If you ob- 
ject to a dividing-line on top because it is 
not seen there on most of the men you 
know, make the parting at least as high as 
you can stand it. It is the fashion now, and 
probably will be for a long time, to have the 
hair cut rather close at the back and on the 
sides. It is not parted behind, as was once 



16 tfhe First Steps that Count 

done. The growth on the neck should never 
be shaved, but merely clipped close with the 
scissors. If the hair is left a little long on 
top, it parts more easily. A closely cropped 
head is too suggestive of the prize-ring to 
be advised. It is permissible sometimes to 
put a little cosmetique on each side of the 
parting, so that the hair will remain in 
place. Avoid frequent shampooing, as it 
tends to make the hair come out. The 
hair should be washed in cold water, with- 
out soap, during the morning bath. It is 
held by some that washing the head in a 
basin containing a few drops of ammonia 
in the water helps to keep the head free 
from dandruff. This may be so. At any 
rate, the hair must be kept so clean that 
there is never any dandruff on the coat- 



'The First Steps that Count. 17 

collar. It is well enough to comb the head 
once a week with a fine-tooth comb before 
washing it. 

It is not necessary to dwell upon the 
importance of cleaning the teeth. They 
should be brushed twice a week with tooth- 
powder, and every day with soap and water. 
They should be carefully watched by a 
dentist in whom you have confidence. No 
money is ever better spent by a young man 
than that paid out for having his teeth prop- 
erly attended to, and filled when needed. 
It is laying up a store of enjoyment for a 
later period in life, when eating is about 
the only pleasure left. 

The hands always need careful attention. 
They can only be kept clean around the 
nails by the frequent use of a nail-brush, 



18 The First Steps that Count 

soap, and hot water. Castile soap is the 
best to use ; it leaves no odor, and does not 
chap the hands. If the soap furnished at the 
basin in the office is too cheap, keep a piece 
of a better quality for private use in your 
desk. The finger-nails in some countries are 
allowed to grow very long, and are cut to a 
point. Indeed, long, pointed nails were at 
one time supposed to indicate a gentleman, 
or at least a person who did not work, for 
if a man performs manual or clerical labor 
his nails are sure to be broken. In this 
country nearly every one works, and the 
claw -like fashion in trimming the finger- 
nails does not prevail. But an American 
gentleman keeps his finger-nails cut pretty 
short (about even with the end of the flesh), 
with just a suspicion of a point. The cal- 



'the First Steps that Count. 



19 



lous bits of skin around the sides ought to 
be removed with sharp, curved nail-scis- 
sors, which can be bought at almost any 
cutlery-store. It isn't necessary in America 
to show by the hands that one does no 
work. It is simply required of a gentle- 
man that his hands shall show proper care. 




II. 



Under-clothing. 

The best to buy — Number ot suits — Silk under- 
clothes — Shoes — Patent-leathers. 

Any one who is careful about his per- 
sonal habits gives spme thought to his un- 
der-clothes. They really ought to be white 
(unless one has a fancy that red flannel is 
good for rheumatism), simply because white 
shows that it is soiled the moment it is so. 
The man who wears dark under-clothes lays 
himself open to the suspicion that he doesn't 
care about cleanliness so much as he cares 
about saving washing and trouble by means 



Under-clothing. 2 1 



of garments that do not show dirt. If a 
man takes a bath every morning, three suits 
of under-clothing for the winter are enough. 
He can change twice a week, provided the 
washerwoman is prompt. In summer more 
suits are required, frequent changes being 
necessary on account of perspiration. One 
should change his under-clothing in summer 
often enough to prevent the slightest odor 
from attaching itself to him. 

Silk under-clothing is not really essential 
for elegance or comfort. It is agreeable to 
wear it with evening dress. The trousers 
hang better when worn over silk drawers, 
woolen garments having a tendency to make 
the trousers stick to the legs. This is true 
of all trousers when worn over woolen, but 
a gentleman only needs to give attention to 



22 Under- clothing. 



this point in the case of dress-trousers. If a 
man can not have one pair of thin, and one 
of thick, silk drawers (for summer and win- 
ter), let him prefer a thin pair. These can 
be worn in winter over a moderately heavy- 
weight pair of woolen drawers, and the set 
of the trousers thereby much improved. 
There is nothing ridiculous or silly in 
devices like this from the right point of 
view. Flannels and silk under-wear ought 
to be washed by some one who knows how, 
lest they should shrink. It is desirable, of 
course, that under-clothing should fit pretty 
snugly, especially the drawers. 

There was a time when it was consid- 
ered the proper thing for gentlemen to 
pinch their feet in small shoes, but the sensi- 
ble rule nowadays is to have shoes large 



Under-clothing. 23 



enough to be comfortable. An easy shoe 
not only feels better, but looks better. A 
man ought, if possible, to have two pairs of 
every-day shoes, so that he can change them 
frequently. Each pair, worn alternately, lasts 
longer than if worn steadily. The warmth 
and the dampness of the foot rot the leather 
unless it gets a chance to dry. There is no 
greater comfort, so far as his feet are con- 
cerned, which a man can have when he 
comes home from business, than to change 
his shoes and socks. Socks, by the way, 
should be white, for the same reason that 
under-clothing should be white. The best 
kind of shoe to buy, from an economical 
point of view, is ordinary French calf-skin, 
with medium soles, and black or very dark- 
blue cloth tops, which button. A shoe of 



24 Under-clothing. 



this kind nicely polished can be worn 
with any suit of clothes — for business or 
for dress. Low shoes can only be worn 
through a small part of the summer or in 
the house, and are apt to be very uncom- 
fortable on a rainy day. They are not 
an economical investment, even in sum- 
mer, because one has to have over-gaiters 
with them if they are to be worn on all 
occasions with comfort. Black over-gait- 
ers are the best to buy. Colored ones 
should harmonize in tone with the trousers, 
but at best they are open to the charge 
of being conspicuous. It is, therefore, pos- 
sible to avoid all questions of taste by se- 
lecting black cloth over - gaiters. They 
should always button on the outside of the 
foot. With low shoes and no gaiters dark 



Under-clothing. 25 



stockings are required — not black, but a 
dark brown or drab. 

Low shoes also let in much dust to the 
feet and ankles, and they give the ankle 
no support. It is best, if one can, to have 
a pair of patent-leather shoes, buttoned, 
black -cloth tops, and comparatively thin 
soles, to wear with evening dress. They 
do not lose their polish, even with wearing 
rubbers, and are, perhaps, a little more ele- 
gant in appearance than ordinary shoes. 
By having them made with plain, cloth tops 
and medium soles, they can be worn with 
business suits when they have begun to be 
a little shabby. Care should be taken, how- 
ever, to keep the edges of the soles of pat- 
ent-leather shoes well blacked and polished. 
Otherwise they have a slovenly look. There 



26 Under-clothing, 



is a black varnish sold by saddlers for paint- 
ing horses' hoofs to give them a polished 
look, which is excellent to put on the edges 
of the soles of patent-leather shoes. It 
should be applied with a slender brush after 
the shoes have been thoroughly cleaned. 
Doubtless there are other preparations for 
this purpose, but it is questionable if they 
are any better. Broken spots in patent- 
leather may also be touched up with it. 

No one any longer wears boots, the tops 
of which come up around the leg under the 
trousers, and laced shoes labor under the 
disadvantage of becoming easily untied. 
Besides, shoe-laces soon wear shabby and 
rusty, and are apt to make callous places 
on the top of the foot. "Pumps" — that is, 
low, patent-leather slippers — are little used 



Under-clothing. 27 



in these days, even by the luxuriously rich. 
They require black silk stockings and neat 
black ribbon bows on the instep, so that al- 
together they have an effeminate air that is 
not admired. Above all, they are hard to 
dance in. For dancing on a waxed floor, of 
course, thin-soled shoes are best, while on 
crash and carpet soles of medium thickness 
are better. If one does wear " pumps " to 
a dinner or a dance despite all warnings, he 
should not try to walk to the place of en- 
joyment, but drive there. To wear this 
kind of shoe in the uncertain climate of the 
northern United States is to court a bad 
cold. 

It is not pleasant to black one's own 
shoes, but shoes must be blacked, and well 
blacked, too. Much of one's appearance 



28 Under-clothing. 



turns on this point ; for a gentleman, it 
used to be said, was indicated by the con- 
dition of his shoes and his hat. Any kind 
of blacking may be used, but it should be 
moistened with fresh, clean water. Black 
carefully the heels, under the insteps, and 
around the edges of the soles. It is a 
good plan to black one's shoes at night 
before going to bed, and in the morn- 
ing, after putting them on, to rub them 
up a bit. The polish will then be bright- 
er, and will last longer for having had a 
chance to dry. With most men of fastidi- 
ous taste, the first luxury to be indulged 
in, when it can be afforded, is to hire a 
boy to black their shoes. This is a wise 
and genteel indulgence. But it is well to 
have one's shoes blacked in the privacy of 



Under-clothing. 29 



one's own kitchen or apartment even then. 
Never perch yourself up in those boot- 
blacks' chairs so conspicuous all over New 
York at street corners. To do so advertises 
to all the world that you usually black your 
own shoes, but that this time you are in- 
dulging in an extravagance. A little com- 
putation just here may give a hint : One 
pair of shoes blacked every day for five 
cents costs thirty-five cents a week. In two 
months that would amount to two dollars 
and eighty cents, which is, in most places, 
as much as the difference in price between 
patent-leathers and fine calf-skin. But the 
life of a shoe is longer than two months. 
The inference, therefore, is decidedly in 
favor of patent-leather shoes, even on the 
score of economy. 



III. 
Shirts. 

For full-dress — A style that never should be worn — 
Collars and cuffs. 

The very fastidious man who can afford 
it, puts on a clean white shirt every day, 
and a shirt, too, which has collar and cuffs 
attached to it. His principle is, that a man 
can't be too careful as to the cleanliness of 
his linen, and that a shirt can't be worn but 
once without the collar and cuffs being 
soiled. But there are not very many men 
so fastidious as this in this country. Most 
Americans seem to think that if they change 



Shirts. 31 



their shirts every other day it is a good 
deal of a concession to the washerwoman. 
They generally put on a fresh collar and 
cuffs every morning, and then consider that 
they are neatness itself. For a man who is 
very particular about baths, and hasn't 
much active work to do, a shirt every other 
day and clean collar and cuffs every day 
answer very well. Collars and cuffs, it is 
to be feared, are really made separate 
from shirts to save washing, because it is 
cheaper to wash them than to wash a 
whole shirt. So, naturally, when a man 
wants to be very particular about his dress, 
he wears shirts with collars and cuffs at- 
tached, and changes once a day at least. 
It is not worth while to discuss further, per- 
haps, the number of this kind of garment 



32 Shirts. 

which should be worn weekly. If one is 
only determined to keep himself neat, the 
number will regulate itself. 

There is, however, an abomination which 
must be mentioned here, and that is a shirt 
which opens behind. It is really only one 
remove from the " dickey," than which noth- 
ing could be lower. It is made thus so that 
the bosom will not get soiled, and with the 
idea that it can be worn much longer with- 
out showing dirt. Of course, this is a vio- 
lation of the idea that it is a gentleman's 
object to be clean and not to save washing. 
Paper collars, celluloid collars, and every- 
thing in this line save linen collars, are 
under the same ban. So in regard to shirts 
it comes to this : A man of limited means 
who wants to be dressed well should have 



Shirts. 33 



at least one or two shirts, with collars and 
cuffs attached, which open in front. These 
he reserves to wear with his dress-suit, and 
he never wears one more than once without 
washing. It won't do at all to have a gen- 
tleman in full-dress whose linen is open to 
the suspicion of not being perfectly immacu- 
late as to cleanliness. For every-day use in 
the office, as has been said, most Americans 
wear shirts to which they button collars 
and cuffs. Provided that collars, cuffs, and 
shirts are frequently changed, this custom 
may be endured. Some very particular 
men now have their shirts open all the way 
down, so that the hair will not be dis- 
arranged after it has been brushed by put- 
ting the shirt over the head. There is a 
good deal of the Miss Nancy about this. 
3 



34 Shirts. 

It is sufficient for any man to have his 
shirts made of plain linen, without dots or 
embroidery on the bosom. Those are ex- 
tras. With plain linen, which fits well and 
is well washed and ironed, one can go any- 
where in the civilized world with a con 
sciousness that his shirt is all right. The 
bosoms of shirts should be made to fasten 
with regular shirt-studs, and not with imita- 
tion studs attached to a screw. The latter 
are a proper accompaniment to a shirt that 
opens behind. 

As to the shape of collars, a young man 
with a fine, well-shaped neck may wear a 
turn-down collar; but, since the fashion is 
for standing collars, he thereby lays himself 
open to the charge of vanity. If one's neck 
is long and thin, with a marked protuber- 



Shirts. 35 



ance, called an Adam's apple, a tall collar 
coming pretty closely together in front, but 
having the points turned back a little, looks 
best. It should, however, be made straight, 
to be turned back after it is on. Collars 
with long turned -down points are rather 
pronounced for a man who does not dress 
in the extreme of fashion. In purchasing 
collars, pains should be taken not to buy 
those which look as if they were sewed on 
a band, for, unless this band is carefully cov- 
ered by the cravat, it makes itself seen. Let 
each side of the collar be of one piece of 
linen. It is well to remember that the num- 
bers on the collars do not always indicate 
their real length. Thus, 15^ is often only 
15J inches long, but sometimes 16 inches 
long. If you have a collar that sets well, 



36 Shirts. 

use it as a pattern, and when you buy, meas- 
ure your purchase (or have the salesman 
do it) so as to get those of exactly similar 
length. The washerwoman should be cau- 
tioned, also, not to stretch collars in wash- 
ing. Insist, too, that your collars and cuffs 
shall be very stiff, and tell the woman, when 
they come home from the wash yellow or 
brown on the inside edges, that this color 
is there because the cuffs and collars were 
not washed clean. It will add force to your 
complaints if you always pay your washer- 
woman promptly. 




IV. 

Suits of Clothes. 

The advantage of a dress-suit — Trousers and waistcoats 
— The business suit — The extra pair of trousers — 
The principle as to color — Overcoats. 

To dress well a man need not have so 
many different suits of clothes as is gener- 
ally supposed, particularly if he knows how 
to take care of what he buys. Outside of 
large cities, one doesn't need a dress-suit 
(or evening dress, as it is, perhaps, more ele- 
gantly called) very often, although, as a mat- 
ter of fact, dress-suits are much more worn 
now, even in small places in the country, 



38 Suits of Clothes. 

than they were two or three years ago. 
But, if one does not need a dress-suit often, 
when he does need it, he needs it badly. It 
is one of the best investments in a social 
way that a young man with social aspirations 
can make. When he wants to go out in 
the evening, and has on a dress-suit, a nicely 
fitting shirt, with a white lawn tie and neat 
shoes, he may enjoy the satisfaction of know- 
ing that he is properly dressed for any so- 
ciety in the world. Dress-suits are not ex- 
pensive, because they last for years. For- 
merly, they were made of black broadcloth, 
but of recent years a narrow, black, diag- 
onal, or even a fine homespun is much used. 
Most suits of to-day, in London and New 
York, are probably made of this fine black 
diagonal; and, if one should get a suit of 



Suits of Clothes. 39 

that kind (1888), he would, for several sea- 
sons at least, always be fashionably dressed 
when he wore it, and need not be annoyed 
even if ultra-fashionable people who buy 
dress-suits every year should appear in one 
made of homespun. Almost any tailor — 
even in a small town — should be able to cut 
and make a dress-suit. 

Evening-dress coats do not vary much 
from year to year, except in the length of 
the tails — not a notable variance. Men ad- 
vanced in life do not often have the lapels 
faced with silk. Any one below forty may 
have them faced with that material. Trous- 
ers (never say pants) with dress-suits are 
never made tight, even if the fashion is to 
have closely fitting trousers for every-day 
wear. About nineteen inches at the knee 



40 Suits of Clothes. 



has been a good width for a number of 
years, and probably will be so for some 
years to come. But there is no fashion so 
easy to find out about as whether trousers 
are made wide or narrow. One may have 
black silk braid down the side seam or not, 
just as he pleases. The fashion in these 
suits varies most in regard to the cut of the 
opening of the waistcoat (never say vest). 
Formerly it was cut in a V shape, but lately 
it is cut like a U. Three buttons are enough 
on a waistcoat. 

As regards the time of appearing in a 
dress-suit, it may be said that it should never 
be put on before six o'clock, which is the 
earliest possible dinner-hour for people who 
dine in the evening. It can be worn at any 
evening entertainment, no matter what its 



Suits of Clothes. 41 

character may be, whether many or few 
people are present. In fact, a man who 
has a dress-suit never needs to wear any- 
thing else in the evening to be properly 
dressed in society. In large cities men 
rarely walk in the street in their dress-suits 
without wearing a very thin overcoat, even 
in summer. This is to avoid being con- 
spicuous. 

Thus, having the proper garment — a 
dress-suit — for social occasions in the even- 
ing, all a man need feel obliged to provide 
besides is a suit for business and after- 
noon entertainments. One suit with care 
will answer both purposes, viz., a black cut- 
away, either of diagonal or of the slightly 
rough cloth now much used (referred to 
earlier in this chapter), with waistcoat of the 



42 Suits of Clothes. 

same, and a pair of trousers, not light-col- 
ored, but " lightish," with modest stripe or 
check. Obviously, a suit of this kind can 
be worn at business, and in it a man is well 
enough dressed for an afternoon wedding, 
reception, or tea, or any other festive oc- 
casion where a dress-suit should not be 
seen. But care must be taken to keep such 
a suit nice. It is well also to have an 
extra pair of trousers to put on after busi- 
ness hours. They are, indeed, almost indis- 
pensable if one is not to be seen with baggy 
knees. There will be something said later 
on in regard to the different kinds of neck- 
tie to wear with a cutaway to make it more 
or less dressy. 

To some extent in some parts of this 
country, a Prince Albert or double-breasted 



Suits of Clothes. 43 

frock-coat, with light trousers, is worn at 
afternoon entertainments ; but this is not 
necessary. A cutaway is just as fashionable 
and becoming, and can always be worn 
when a frock-coat would answer ; but a 
frock-coat should never be seen at busi- 
ness, or anywhere else earlier than late after- 
noon — say, 4 or 4.30. In Paris, a coat of 
this kind is considered by Frenchmen as the 
only proper thing a gentleman can appear 
in from 4 p. M. until dinner. No such fash- 
ion prevails rigorously either in England or 
America. 

Something has been said of the material 
of cutaways. A black diagonal, with not 
too wide a stripe, has been the approved 
material for years, and doubtless will con- 
tinue to be for a long time ; and, if a man 



44 Suits of Clothes. 



has a coat of this stuff, he need not worry 
if he occasionally rubs against coats made 
of rough, black homespun cloth, much worn 
during 1888. Homespun is hardly likely to 
last in popular favor, because it shows wear. 
Of course, a diagonal coat after it gets shiny 
must be worn only in the office. It is well 
to have (if it can easily be afforded), in addi- 
tion to a cutaway suit and a dress-suit, a 
sack-suit. But the last named can be dis- 
pensed with. If one is ordered, however, it 
should be a very dark blue or black Scotch 
tweed, or homespun. It will easily last two 
summers if one gets an extra pair of trousers 
at the same time. The underlying principle of 
this purchase, as of all economical buying of 
clothes, is to buy dark-colored material. A dark 
suit can be worn on any kind of a day, and 



Suits of Clothes. 45 

early or late in the season ; but light clothes 
are in good taste only when the sun shines 
and the weather is very bright. Trousers, 
particularly, should be modest in color and 
pattern. Never, under any circumstances, 
unless you are actually deformed, have pad- 
ding put in the shoulders of coats, or any- 
where else. Square shoulders are only ad- 
mirable when they are natural. 

If a man is much about his house, he 
ought to have a second-best sack-coat to 
lounge in. It isn't necessary to have a 
smoking -jacket or any fancy garment of 
that kind ; yet a Norfolk jacket or unlined 
cloth coat is most useful. Nothing wears 
out one's clothes more than lounging about 
a house. It is also well in winter to don a 
second-best coat under an overcoat. Tak- 



46 Suits of Clothes. 



ing on and off a top-coat wears the other 
badly. 

In the summer, for leisure hours in the 
morning, or the early afternoon, the ordi- 
nary " blazer," so often seen now, and white 
trousers, worn at cricket or tennis, together 
with a soft flannel shirt, are very conven- 
ient; but nothing beyond the cutaway suit 
and a dress-suit are absolutely necessary to 
a man who must economize. Too much 
stress can not be put upon the fact that a 
dress-coat for evening wear and a cutaway 
suit for all other occasions, with proper 
kind of hat and shoes, are all that a man 
really needs to be properly dressed, except 
so far as overcoats are concerned. 

Unless a man is very tough, it is neces- 
sary in the climate of the Northern United 



Suits of Clothes. 47 

States to have two overcoats — one for mid- 
winter, made of rough cloth, and one for 
the cold days of fall and spring, made of 
diagonal or plain stuff. Both should be of 
a dark color — very dark blue or brown is 
the best — and made as sack overcoats. 
Overcoats, with capes and long tails and 
other variations, are all liable to go out of 
fashion before they are worn out, and then 
they do not look well; but the plain sack 
overcoat, neatly brushed, always is present- 
able, and is a perfectly proper outside gar- 
ment for all occasions. It is a luxury to have 
overcoats lined with silk. At any rate, the 
sleeve linings should be of silk or satin. If 
care is taken to keep the buttons and button- 
holes of these garments in good repair, they 
will not become shabby for a long time. It 



48 Suits of Clothes. 



may be remarked here, in regard to coats 
of all kinds, that it is not well to have them 
bound with silk braid. It wears shiny, or 
wears off entirely, and makes the coat look 
shabby before it is really so. 

A word about clothes for traveling. If 
a man can travel much, he can afford to 
dress well, or at least to have a suit of nice- 
looking clothes for his journey. They never 
should be new, nor should they be light- 
colored. They should fit loosely. Linen 
dusters or alpaca dusters are no longer 
seen, or ought not to be seen. They nev- 
er were of use, for they do not materially 
protect the clothes from dust, and they are 
too hot for comfort, especially in summer. 
The traveling-suit should be something that 
lounging and dust will not damage, and it 



Suits of Clothes, 49 

should be as quiet and inconspicuous as the 
manners of the wearer. This last point 
about the manners is very important 

It is a lamentable fact that at the sea-side 
and in the mountains in the summer, at re- 
sorts where women think they must look 
their prettiest, the men, especially the very 
young men, seem to think that they can 
wear as slovenly clothing as they please. 
Often they appear at breakfast and dinner 
in the same suit of lawn -tennis flannels. 
Such garments are proper for the morning 
if they fit well, if all the buttons are kept 
fastened, and if a decent cravat gives a con- 
servative air to the flannel shirt. But, when 
the sport of the day is over, at dinner-time 
or tea, a gentleman owes it to himself, to 
say nothing of what he owes to ladies, to ap- 
4 



50 Suits of Clothes, 

pear in his neat sack-suit and white shirt or 
in his cutaway suit. Any hotel-keeper who 
allows " the fellows " to dance in flannel 
suits in the evening certainly does not keep 
the kind of a house at which gentlemen or 
ladies should stay. But it is very often 
an affectation to appear in a dress-suit for 
dinner or dancing at a summer resort, un- 
less it is a " hop " night. The cutaway an- 
swers very well on most occasions. 





The Care of Clothes. 

Frequent brushing — How to hang up coats and trousers 
— Bagging at the knee. 

A man's appearance in a great measure 
depends upon the care which he takes of 
his clothes. They should be brushed care- 
fully, and, when not in use, should be hung 
up where they will get no dust. Coats 
should always be hung on a little frame sup- 
port that goes from shoulder to shoulder. 
These are sold very cheaply in the cities, 
but any one can supply himself with them 



52 tfhe Care of Clothes. 

by cutting the hoop of a clean barrel into 
sections a foot and a half long, and tying a 
cord to the middle, by which to hang it up. 
A coat and waistcoat hung on this frame 
keep their form well. The little loop at the 
back of the neck on a coat should never be 
used to hang it up by when the garment is 
to remain for more than a few moments. 
It seems to have been invented by tailors 
merely to pull a coat out of all shape. If 
you have not a form of the kind suggested 
to hang a coat on, hang it by the sleeve and 
shoulder on the peg, and use straight pegs ; 
not those with a point turned up. 

Trousers, after being carefully brushed, 
should be turned inside out and hung by 
the strap behind, or from two pegs by the 
strap and the front of the trousers. Thus 



^he Care of Clothes. 53 

the folds made by wearing will be reversed, 
and fall back into place. It is not possible 
entirely to prevent trousers from bagging 
at the knee. But the evil can be remedied, 
or prevented in part, by having two pairs of 
trousers, and by wearing them alternately 
two or three days at a time. With every 
suit of clothes, as has been remarked (ex- 
cept a dress-suit), a man should have two 
pairs of trousers if it is possible — one to 
wear at his work and the other when he 
wants to be more careful in his appearance. 
A little device to hold trousers is sold in 
New York, and is useful. It looks like a 
coat-support, except that at each end the 
wire is bent into the shape of the letter S 
turned sideways, and prolonged through 
several curves. The black button of the 



54 ^he Care of Clothes. 

two front suspender buttons on each side 
of the trousers is slipped into one of the 
curves, and a good support is thus ob- 
tained. It is wise to have a number of 
hooks in rows in the top of one's ward- 
robes from which to hang these hoops. 
Much space is thereby saved, which is a 
great thing in small houses. 

What has seemed to be a fashion has 
prevailed for some time in the East and in 
England. This is to have a slight crease 
down the back of the legs of the trousers. 
Of course, it is supposed to indicate that 
the trousers are new or have just been 
pressed. When the garment actually is 
new, the crease is not offensive, but if the 
trousers have been worn long, the crease 
is a ridiculous affectation that deserves the 



I'ke Care of Clothes. 55 

smile it usually excites. The fact is, old 
trousers can not be made new by any ex- 
periment at all. They may be encouraged 
to retain their shape if they are pressed 
by the tailor often ; but it is their fate to 
wear out, and the failing can not be reme- 
died by trick and device. 

Care should be taken to draw trousers 
up pretty well, so that they set properly, 
and do not touch the ground or pavement 
in walking. They soon wear out on the 
edge if they touch. Trousers should not 
" break " too much — that is, bend in broken 
folds — just above the shoe. They are about 
the right length in front when they cover 
the lowest button of the boot-top. In re- 
gard to the size of trousers at the knee, as 
in everything else, one should not follow 



56 



tfke Care of Clothes. 



the extreme of fashion. It is a luxury to 
have a pair of suspenders for every pair of 
trousers. Then, when once adjusted to the 
right length, one need never give further 
thought to the garment when it is on. 





VI. 

Hats and Neckwear. 

Tall hats and derbys — Different kinds of scarfs — Rigid 
rules concerning white ties — Colors to buy. 

A well-dressed man is always particu- 
lar about his hats and his shoes. Some peo- 
ple are careless in this respect, because they 
think they can economize vastly there with- 
out any one's noticing it. Enough has al- 
ready been said on previous pages about 
shoes, perhaps, and we would only add that 
one may have his shoes half-soled, but that 
they never should be patched. If possible, 



58 Hats and Neckwear. 

one should have a tall silk hat and a derby, 
which is a low-crowned hat. A silk hat is 
to a man what a best bonnet is to a woman, 
and, whenever the hat is part of the dress, 
as at the opera (when moving from box to 
box), a tall silk hat is absolutely indispensa- 
ble. It is also indispensable with a double- 
breasted or single-breasted frock-coat, and 
it is very correct to wear it with a cutaway, 
but not with a sack-coat. It has been a re- 
cent fashion, by the way, for Englishmen 
and Frenchmen to wear a silk hat with a 
black sack-coat ; but it is always safe not to 
do it, and it is an atrocity to wear it with a 
light-colored sack-coat. The derby hat, on 
the contrary, always looks well with a sack- 
coat, or a cutaway, when one is at business. 
It may be worn in the evening with a dress- 



Hats and Neckwear. 59 

suit when it is merely seen in the street, or 
on getting in or out of a carriage at a thea- 
tre. A silk hat is injured by being put 
under the seat with your overshoes at the 
theatre. Both the silk hat and the derby 
should be carefully brushed every day. 
Nothing looks worse than a hat that isn't 
cared for. Hats of all kinds when laid 
aside should rest on the crown or on the 
side ; never on the brim with the crown 
up. Resting on the brim puts a hat out of 
shape. 

A light hat is never a good investment 
for a person who wishes to dress economic- 
ally, on the principle that, while you can 
wear a black hat at any time, light-colored 
covering for the head does not look well on 
a dark or rainy day, or after September 



60 Hats and Neckwear. 

15th, which is the date on which men in 
New York city are supposed to discard their 
summer head-gear. Straw hats are never 
worn by men in town in London, while 
in the western part of the United States 
in summer nearly every one has straw 
head-gear. In New York the men appear 
to have struck a just mean, and they wear 
straw hats on very hot days. The climate of 
America is much hotter than that of Eng- 
land, and a departure from English fashions 
(which generally are very sensible) in this 
instance is commendable. But a straw hat 
should not be seen on a dark day, and one 
worn by a middle-aged young man should 
never have a colored band on it — black is 
the only dignified thing. A very young 
man or a college student may have white, 



Hats and Neckwear. 61 

or blue, or what he pleases, taking- care, of 
course, that it is not too glaring. 

The only time to wear a soft hat is in 
traveling or at sports in the country, and 
then the crown should be low, the brim nar- 
row, and the felt so soft that it can be folded 
up easily. What is commonly known as a 
lawn-tennis hat — blue or black — is about the 
thing to buy. It is better than the silk caps, 
without any visor to protect the eyes, which 
are sold on railway trains, and which are 
unbecoming to most men. 

In purchasing neckwear, the same prin- 
ciple of buying only dark -colored stuffs 
when one wants to dress well, but inexpen- 
sively, prevails. A silk or satin scarf of dark 
blue, or brown, or purple, or black, with a 
small colored dot or figure, is proper on 



62 Hats and Neckwear, 

all occasions, business or social, except, of 
course, when full-dress is required. It is 
most agreeable to be able to have scarfs of 
many colors and styles, but it costs much 
money to have them, and the rest of one's 
wardrobe needs to be pretty elaborate to 
support gorgeous neckwear. 

There are two kinds of scarfs — the flat 
scarf, like Fig. i ; and a four-in-hand, like 
Fig. 2, untied, and like Fig. 3, when tied in 
a conventional sailor's knot. It will be evi- 
dent from a glance at these that the flat 
scarf, Fig. 1, should be worn when the 
waistcoat buttons up quite high at the 
throat, for then only a little of the scarf (so 
far as a) is seen. Even with such a waist- 
coat the four-in-hand, tied as in Fig. 3, may 
also be worn. With a waistcoat that is cut 



Hats and Neckwear. 



63 




64 Hats and Neckwear. 

comparatively low (say to about b\ so that 
some of the shirt-bosom shows, the scarf as 
in Fig. 3 is the correct thing. It is, there- 
fore, the most economical article of neck- 
wear to buy, as it can be worn with a high 
or low waistcoat. If made of heavy silk, it 
lasts much longer than if made of satin, and 
looks quite as well, if not better. A man 
who has a dark silk four-in-hand, black or 
blue, with a little dot figure in it, as sug- 
gested previously, and one of lighter and 
gayer color to wear at afternoon entertain- 
ments, has all the neckwear he requires, 
except white lawn ties to wear with his 
dress-suit. 

The four-in-hand may be tied tightly or 
loosely, as suits the taste, and may be wide 
or narrow. In winter the wider ones are 



Hats and Neckwear. 65 

worn, and in summer the narrower ones. 
In putting- them on, it is often necessary to 
tighten them up after they have been put in 
place. They are looking just right when 
the collar-button is covered, as it always 
should be. It is the height of vulgarity to 
have a jeweled collar-button. Both four-in- 
hands and flat scarfs should be held down 
in place, so as to be flat, by fastening them 
to the shirt at m and //. To pin them makes 
bad holes in the linen, but a little catch is 
sold for a trifle in the streets in any large 
town which is better than a pin. A more 
convenient little thing it would be hard to 
imagine. 

Nothing should be worn with evening 
dress but a tie of white lawn tied by your- 
self. Ties already made up into bows, which 
5 



66 Hals and Neckwear. 

fasten at the back of the neck, never look 
well, and should be avoided on the principle 
that one should not have anything bogus or 
ready-made about his dress. A cravat that 
is meant to look as if tied should actually 
be tied, and a little skill is all that is neces- 
sary to accomplish it. Indeed, it is better 
to have a white lawn tie rather badly tied, 
than to wear one ready made. An effort 
should be made to tie the lawn tie into a 
square bow-knot, like Fig. 4. It will be 
noted that the ends do not stick out very 
far beyond the bow part. Every one learns 
by experience what length of tie he should 
wear and how wide it should be. The first 
time you get your tie to suit you, note its 
length and width, and always buy the same 
afterward. Three quarters of an inch to an 



Hats and Neckwear. 67 

inch is about the average width. If one 
owns a box of English pins, which are much 
stronger than those of American manufact- 
ure, it will be very easy to put a pin in un- 
derneath the bow as near to the lower edge 
of the collar as possible (at c in Fig. 4) to 
hold it in place. Indeed, a bow must be 
pinned down, or there should be a loop of 
tape on the shirt bosom just below the col- 
lar-button, through which one end of the 
cravat is run before the bow is tied (as at d 
in Fig. 5). Scarfs and ties should also be 
pinned down at the back of the neck (as at 
e in Fig. 4). 

There is no use to own a black silk, or 
satin, tie (a black satin scarf is a different 
thing) with the idea of wearing it with 
evening dress. At all evening entertain- 



68 Hats and Neckwear, 

ments, as has already been said, a white 
lawn tie is correct ; and while sometimes 
a black silk one is allowed (as at a man's 
dinner, or where a person is in mourning 
at a small gathering), yet a white one may 
be worn on these occasions just as well 
as black, and on every other occasion, too. 
If, therefore, a man has plenty of white 
ties for evening dress, he needs no oth- 
ers. It should be remembered that these 
lawn ties must be perfectly fresh from 
the shop or the laundry. Never try to 
wear a white tie twice, any more than you 
would try to wear a dress-shirt twice, with- 
out sending it to the laundry. A man's 
linen, when he is in evening dress, as has 
also been said before, must be absolutely 
immaculate. 



Hats and Neckwear. 



6 9 



A handkerchief should never be used as 
an ornament, nor should a corner of it be 
allowed to stick out of one's coat-pocket. 
It is a concession to nature that should be 
kept out of sight as much as possible. 





VII. 

Jewelry and Gloves. 

Few ornaments needed — Rings and pins — A good habit 
as to gloves. 

A word about jewelry : If one has a pair 
of plain gold linked sleeve-buttons and a set 
of gold or white-enameled studs, he has all 
the jewelry that a gentleman needs to have, 
and all that is proper to wear unless he has 
a large wardrobe, and can afford luxuries. 
One should never wear a large gold watch- 
chain with evening dress. It is better, in- 
deed, to wear none at all, simply having the 



Jewelry and Gloves. 71 

watch in your waistcoat pocket ; but a very 
narrow, light gold chain is allowed on all 
occasions. Even with a business suit an 
expansive metal cable is not in good taste. 
As to rings, it is just as well not to wear 
any save a plain gold ring on the little fin- 
ger of the left hand. The absence of that 
even will never cause remark ; and the pres- 
ence of any rings, except when they are 
really artistic, and on a man who gives great 
thought and care to his appearance, and al- 
ways dresses fashionably, shows a lack of 
taste and judgment. If, however, you are 
tempted to wear a seal ring, in spite of all 
warning, be sure that it is a very small one. 
One has no need of scarf-pins at all, ex- 
cept with a flat scarf, which requires one in 
the center (as at /in Fig. 1) — another reason 



72 Jewelry and Gloves. 

for preferring a four-in-hand scarf. It is al- 
lowable to wear a very small pin with a 
four-in-hand if it is stuck away up in the 
corner of the knot (as at g in Fig. 3), so as 
to attract little attention. Little gold pins 
with pearl heads are used by some men to 
pin down a lawn tie (as at h and k in Fig. 4). 
They are all very well if you can afford to 
have them, because it is not necessary to 
conceal them, as it is the ordinary pin. 

Cultivate the habit of wearing gloves 
whenever there is an excuse for it. They 
keep the hands clean, and add to one's com- 
fort, and to the appearance of comfort in the 
winter. A man with his hands stuck into 
the sides of his overcoat, or into his trous- 
ers-pockets, looks more or less wretched 
or parsimonious. Buy dark brown or brick- 



Jewelry and Gloves. 73 

red kid gloves always, either stitched with 
black or with silk of the same color. Only 
don't let your hands be conspicuous. At a 
funeral, for instance, one should wear black 
gloves and a dark tie. If one is going to 
dance, it is always proper, no matter what 
the passing rumor of fashion may be, to 
wear gloves, so as not to soil a lady's dress 
or her gloves. Evening gloves should be 
light lavender or white, heavily stitched 
with black or white. Never be afraid to 
wear gloves or dress-suit on proper occa- 
sions, whether any one else does so or not. 
A man can always afford to be the best- 
dressed gentlemen in the room. 




VIII. 



How to Branch Out a Little. 

A table of suggestions — The use of a valet — 
Visiting-cards — A last word. 

It will perhaps be convenient, as a sort 
of resume of what has been said in earlier 
chapters, to give in tabular form the arti- 
cles of wearing apparel which a careful man 
who wishes to dress well, but economically, 
should have. Here is such a table of sug- 
gestions : 

Winter under-clothing 3 suits 

Summer under-clothing 6 " 

Night-shirts 3 



How to Branch Out a Little. 75 



Shirts with collars and cuffs attached 2 

Shirts without collars and cuffs 6 

Collars 10 

Cuffs 10 pairs 

Socks 6 " 

Calf-skin shoes 2 " 

Patent-leather shoes I pair 

Slippers 

Dress-suit 

Cutaway suit (summer) 

Cutaway suit (winter) 

Extra trousers (for each suit) I pair 

Winter overcoat 

Spring overcoat '. 

Handkerchiefs 12 

High silk hat 

Derby hat 

Gloves 2 pairs 

Neck scarfs 2 

Lawn ties 6 

Link sleeve-buttons, gold I pair 

Studs, white enamel or gold. . . . , I set 

This looks like a good deal, but, of 
course, one does not have to lay it all in 



76 Hozc to Branch Out a Little. 

every summer or winter. If one buys good 
clothes, well made and within the fashion, 
and takes care of what he has, his accumu- 
lations from year to year become valuable. 
A black cutaway coat properly cared for 
should last through the second season, and 
a variety in clothes can be obtained by pur- 
chasing, every other season, a sack-suit, 
rough and heavy for winter use, or of thin 
stuff for summer, remembering always the 
extra pair of trousers. It is needless, how- 
ever, to go much more into detail. If the 
case which the writer has been trying to 
establish has been presented in a clear man- 
ner, the reader (with the items in the table 
to serve as hints) should be able to regu- 
late his wardrobe easily and judiciously. 
If one desires to indulge his fancy in 



How to Branch Out a Little. 77 

neckwear, it is easily done. Bearing in 
mind always that quiet colors are best and 
most gentleman -like, one might lay in a 
stock of four-in-hands something as follows : 
Black satin, plain ; black satin or silk, with 
dots or sprigs of flowers ; dark blue with 
polka dots ; neat dark browns, small checks, 
and narrow stripes ; white corded silk, plain, 
or with a small figure to wear at day wed- 
dings, receptions, and other afternoon enter- 
tainments, or on any occasion in summer 
when one wishes to be a little " dressed 
up " ; heavy white linen, which will wash, 
with various designs in blue, black, or red, 
or dotted. Big checks or stripes are not 
in good form, nor are patterns of horse- 
shoes, whips, spurs, and the like, in good 
taste save at races. It is a painful rule, but 



n$ How to Branch Out a Little. 

one that must be followed, that the moment 
neckwear is soiled it must be cast aside. 
Summer neckwear of wash stuff should be 
kept as immaculate as one's linen. 

Of course, it is most agreeable to have 
clothes of different styles if one can afford 
it. A light-colored sack-suit, an extra four- 
buttoned cutaway suit of light-colored ma- 
terial, in addition to the regulation dark 
blue sack-suit and the black cutaway suit, 
are most useful. Then a thin, light over- 
coat, lined with silk, to wear with a dress- 
coat in summer, and an ulster, heavy and 
silk-lined, for the same purpose in winter ; 
a heavy warm-colored cutaway, with trous- 
ers of the same kind for cold weather ; a 
plenty of white waistcoats, both dress and 
for cutaways ; tennis suits ; many shirts, 



How to Branch Out a Little, 79 

with collars and cuffs attached ; an abun- 
dant supply of fine neckwear ; and expensive 
under-wear for every season, not to mention 
dressing-gowns, smoking -jackets, and nu- 
merous hats. 

All these things, and more, are nice to 
own, but they are by no means essential to 
a gentleman-like exterior. They call for an 
expenditure of a great deal of money, and 
of much time and thought, unless, as many 
Englishmen do, one leaves everything to 
the tailor, and lets him send home what and 
as much as he likes. In that case, all that is 
necessary to do is to meet the bill. 

A fashion prevails at present, and seems 
to be growing, which is commendable if 
not carried to excess — that is, to tie a silk 
handkerchief around the waist in warm 



8o How to Branch Out a Little. 

weather when no waistcoat is worn. In 
this way the garment is held up and the 
top of the trousers is concealed. But the 
handkerchief should be of a quiet color. 
No suspenders should be worn. To show 
that this handkerchief fashion is not alto- 
gether silly, it may be said that the best 
cricket authorities in England now recom- 
mend that it shall be worn instead of a belt 
with a buckle. Many a player, it is assert- 
ed, is declared " caught out " by the umpire, 
who, having heard the click of the ball on 
the buckle, supposed it to have been struck 
by the bat. Of course, when a handker- 
chief replaces the belt this annoyance to 
cricketers is avoided. But the fashion 
should not be pushed to an extreme. Broad 
sashes of silk of gaudy colors, which cover 



How to Branch Out a Little, 81 

a foot or so of a man's abdomen, are simply 
ridiculous. 

A valet is not an altogether useless serv- 
ant. Indeed, he is almost indispensable for 
a man of leisure who dresses a great deal. 
It is a valet's duty to call his master in the 
morning, prepare his bath, look after his 
shoes, his clean shirt, and under-wear, and 
to lay out the suit of clothes to put on 
(after consultation). The valet also shaves 
his master if he is a first-class " man." If 
the gentleman breakfasts in bed, the valet 
waits on him, as he often does at other 
meals. His duties are then done until the 
master returns to make another toilet, or 
reappears at night, when he must be on 
hand to help in undressing and getting to 
bed. Then he must take from the room 
6 



82 How to Branch Out a Little. 

all the clothing which is to be brushed 
in the morning. A valet accompanies his 
employer everywhere in traveling, and 
looks after baggage, tickets, and trains. In 
some of the great houses in England a vis- 
itor is not welcome unless he brings his 
own servant, who waits on him in his room, 
and frequently at table. It will be evident 
that a valet can be useful to his master in 
many other ways. 

A visiting-card is not exactly part of 
a gentleman's dress, but it is something 
which, in a town of any size, he is obliged 
to have. In size it should be small — about 
three inches long and one inch and a half 
wide — and cut from thin, white cardboard. 
The name should always be preceded by 
" Mr." It is well, also, and the fashion is 



Hozv to Branch Out a Little. 83 

sensibly growing-, to spell the entire name 
in full — middle names and all. The reason 
naturally is, that if a man has a name he 
should use it. A commercial man uses the 
initials of his first two or three names in 
writing a letter on business, presumably to 
save time. But in genteel relations in life a 
gentleman is not in a hurry. He has leisure 
to write his name in full. Never have cards 
printed. They should be either engraved 
or written in lead-pencil. 

A last word : Avoid the habit of using 
slang and coarse, common language. If 
you offend in this way, your speech, despite 
your clothes, will betray the fact that your 
associates are not refined. 

THE END. 



Qocial Etiquette 

of New York. 

REWRITTEN AND ENLARGED. 



TN response to constant applications from all parts of 
the country for information regarding social forms 
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"G ooc * Form" 

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A Debutante in 
**■ New York Society 

Her Illusions, > 
and what became of them. BY 

RACHEL BUCHANAN. 



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ish as She is Spoke ; or, a jest in sober 

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iscriminate. A Companion to "Don't." A Manual lor 
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nglish as She is Wrote, showing curious ways 

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ictures of English Society, containing Forty, 

one Illustrations from " Punch." By George du Maurier. 

ictures of Life and Character. By John 

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"he English Grammar 

of William Cobbett. 

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By the late WlLLIAM B. HODGSON, LL. D., 

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"he Rhymester 5 

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A Thousand Flashes of 
^*- French Wit, Wisdom, 

and Wickedness. 

Collected and translated by J. De FINOD. 

A collection of wise and brilliant sayings from French 
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ncle Remus: 

His Songs and his Sayings, 

THE FOLK-LORE OF THE OLD PLANTATION. 

By Joel Chandler Harris. 



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